Where My Foreboding Thoughts Lead
by Yosuke
Summary: A year has passed since Zidane returned to Dagger's arms, and the world is at peace. But when Zidane makes the decision to leave the Queen and Alexandria, Garnet cannot cope and desperately seeks him out. Rated for some language and sexual situations. WIP
1. Chapter 1

Where My Foreboding Thoughts Lead  
Yosuke

AN: To be honest, I've never read a full Final Fantasy 9 story. I've hardly even browsed through the list. So I can't really say I'm worried about competing with anyone, though I'm sure there's a couple of fantastic ZidanexGarnet stories out there already. I'll try to prevent myself from reading any lest I become discouraged.

This story takes place one year after the ending of the game.

FF9 not mine.

* * *

The typical perfect day was becoming just that: typical. Everyday it was sunshine and a cool breeze, and good news was always waiting for the residents of Alexandria Castle. Not that anyone could complain; after everything that had happened in that town, from the "kidnapping" of its princess to the death of its Queen, and its own eventual destruction, no one even thought of cursing this string of good luck. Everything was peaceful, and everyone was happy. But how utterly boring it was becoming...

The days were so routine: Wake up to birds singing outside of your window, eat a perfectly prepared breakfast, luncheon, socialize with elites, make the citizens happy, enjoy a succulent dinner and a lovely dinner show, talk with more rich people, then retire for the night under the watchful eye of a beautiful moon and its sparkling starry sisters.

Zidane sure felt sorry for Dagger. This routine must've been driving her crazy!

The Genome made a graceless entrance through a half-open window and eased himself to a stop in a long, empty corridor. Checking the bottoms of his boots for mud, he started traversing the hallways quietly, his footsteps muffled by the thick, expensive red carpeting. What a day, he had thought. While the Queen was cooped up in this stone shack, Zidane had a range of movement, allowed to walk as freely as he liked just about anywhere. He could skip a meal (or add one), talk to whoever he wanted, go any place that made the beauty of the outside all the more appealing and pray he wouldn't leave drunk... Sure, he was allowed all this, but it was generally frowned upon. After all, he had responsibilities.

Zidane's venturing led him to the main hallway, and he stopped for a moment, pondering silently as to which direction he would've liked to head in. This was like roulette; his queen could be waiting anywhere, but if he walked in through the wrong door, the thief could easily encounter the one person he would've liked more than anything to avoid: Steiner. He'd been avoiding the captain for a while now, his own personal dilemmas making contact between the two of them rather arduous. Steiner had seemed to pick up on something about Zidane's attitude, but the smaller man had tried to convince him it was nothing, though Steiner seemed wise enough not to let that go (which was something of a rarity for the idiot).

Zidane sighed heavily and took a chance, choosing the royal bedchambers. He knew Steiner wouldn't be in there, but he generally avoided blatantly walking in as much as possible. He could do without the knowing glances of servants, seeing the thief walk right into the unwed queen's personal chambers.

Fortunately, no one was around, and even more fortunately, he wasn't alone inside. Seated on the windowsill, attempting to untangle a lock of hair from her hair ornaments, sat Queen Garnet, radiant and glowing in the mid-afternoon sunlight. Perhaps the predictable weather wasn't quite as boring as he had originally thought...

"Wow," Zidane scoffed a little, catching the girl's attention. "Now there's a picture out of a storybook. Pretty classic-lookin' princess, glowing and whatnot."

"Zidane," Garnet breathed, her momentary surprise gone at the sight of her lover. "I didn't hear you come in. You gave me a fright."

Zidane scoffed again at her choice of words, a little disappointed that the rugged white mage he'd traveled with and taught less than flattering mannerisms to was slowly vanishing, and the proper, well-mannered, tea-sipping noblewoman was coming back to the surface. Ah, he'd miss his Dagger, but she was still the princess he'd fallen in love with, regardless of whatever title she had now.

The thief walked up to her, standing by her side and easing her hands away from her knotted hair. "You're just making it worse. Let me do that." Zidane carefully pulled the soft strands free from the ornament, wary of causing her any strain. Garnet sat patiently beneath him, her eyes drifting to his well-detailed black vest, the one that had replaced his old tattered blue one.

"Does the outfit work for you?"

"Yeah, you look gorgeous, though I kinda miss the tight orange pants on you..."

"No, not me!" Garnet smacked his waist playfully. "I mean you. I know you're used to wearing more comfortable clothes. Does this new outfit inconvenience you at all?"

Zidane eased the last strand of hair from her headpiece and straightened it out against her head, then stepped back to look down at himself. "Yeah, it works pretty well. The gauntlets work nicely." He tapped the metal guards around his wrists, wide like his old cuffs but not nearly as daunting as he had originally thought they would've been. "The vest is nice... The boots are comfy... Still getting used to this, though." He fingered the metal brace fitted loosely over his collarbone, almost like a necklace, scribed with the emblem of Alexandria. When he brought it to her attention, Garnet smiled.

"It suits you. Though, if you're reconsidering..."

"No way!" Zidane stepped back, crossing his arms and smiling back at his queen. "I like this job. Being your personal bodyguard is probably the best gig I've ever had, though I don't think Rusty's liking it too much..."

"Oh, he's fine with it. He's just giving you a hard time. I think he's worried the responsibilities you have will change you, so he's keeping up the attitude he's had towards you from the very beginning to keep you on your toes. He's not changing so you won't."

"Heh," Zidane laughed lightly, casting his eyes to the ground. "Rusty doesn't want me to change?"

"Of course not. No one does. You're perfect just the way you are."

"Thanks, _mom_." The thief eased himself and approached his queen once more, tilting her face up and leaning down to kiss her. Garnet accepted the gesture, as always, and felt her heart swell at the love her bodyguard showed her. Even though it'd been a full year since they'd been reunited, exposing their love to each other, it was still taking some getting used to. But ever since Garnet had made him her personal guard, any affections from the man were becoming more and more scarce, save for the unyielding nights of passion he let them experience freely. It seemed that the job had made Zidane nervous and uneasy in the eyes of others. If another servant was around or, heaven forbid, Steiner or Beatrix, Zidane withdrew into his shell and remained silent by the queen's side before excusing himself with hardly a word spoken. This was remarkably uncharacteristic for him. Zidane had done nothing but hit on the princess throughout their journey to save Gaia. Why would he be so timid about it now?

Zidane leaned back, staring wordlessly at the breathtaking image of his lovely queen, then smirked and turned to leave. This baffled Garnet.

"You came in here to kiss me? That was all? You didn't have anything you needed to say?"

The thief stopped dead in his tracks like he'd been caught doing something bad, though quite honestly he had no idea what he felt so alert for. He couldn't even recall why he'd sought her out in the first place. He hadn't anything to say or ask her... Had he simply gone to her for some affection? Or did he need comfort?

The stab of shame in his stomach answered that question for him. Yeah, he'd needed her, alright. He was in dire need of comfort from his turbulent thoughts, from all the problems that had been plaguing his mind for the past several weeks, nay, months. A deeply settled seed of paranoia was bursting in his gut and he had no idea how to handle it. But Dagger was _not_ the one to go to with this problem. Despite all her wisdom and sympathetic attitude, this was one issue she could not cure.

Plastering his normal, obnoxious smile to his face, Zidane turned halfway and gave her a little wave. "Just thought I'd say hi, is all. No harm in wanting to see your beautiful face, is there?"

Garnet recognized the tone of his voice, remembering all too clearly the night they'd first met, and in order to escape, they'd had to become part of of the theater troupe's play. The acting lessons she'd taken when she was younger resurfaced momentarily, which came in handy when she needed to know when one was telling the truth. And Zidane was lying. Whatever the truth was, Zidane seemed far too nervous to discuss it with her, so rather than goad him for answers, she simply smiled in response and went back to fixing her hair.

Zidane fought the urge to sigh as he quickly stepped out of the room, unsure of how much more his nerves could've taken in that moment. Dagger knew something was up now, and no thanks to his apparent lack of acting skills, having escaped that moment for some ungodly reason, Zidane had to come up with a solution to his problem, and quickly, before the queen started hounding him.

* * *

Another uneventful day was drawing to an end, and Garnet had bid her dinner guests farewell. As they all left, Zidane finally made his presence known by dropping from the rafters and landing with ease beside the queen. Garnet's brown eyes swept over to her lover and gave him a peculiar smile. "I thought you said you'd stop hanging out up there during dinner."

Zidane stretched his arms over his head and twisted his back a little, grunting at the feeling of vertebrae popping wonderfully. "That nobleman has been here for dinner three times and each time he eyes you like a piece of meat. He's bound to jump you at some point. I'm just waiting for the opportunity to kick his ass." The thief followed her majesty to the door, exiting the empty dining room and making their way to the grand staircase. Servants waited at the bottom step, bowing reverently as their queen approached. Garnet stopped short of the staircase and turned to her bodyguard.

"Will you be up much longer?"

"Yeah," Zidane responded, crossing his arms. "I'm trying to finish up a letter to Freya, but I won't be too long. You don't have to wait up for me."

"Zidane..." The dark haired woman lowered her eyes to the floor for a moment, suddenly bashful. "I'm going to... Wait up for you, that is." Timid brown eyes turned up again, and Zidane couldn't help but swoon at his lover. Whether or not that had been intentional, Garnet certainly had a way of making the thief's core melt. There was no way he could turn down a chance to make love to her tonight. Moments like that had been so scarce lately, but sometimes his Dagger could be so convincing.

The Genome scoffed and dug his hands into his pockets, giving her a boyish smile. "Well, in that case, I'll make Freya's letter really short."

Garnet's gorgeous smile returned, her cheeks slightly tinted as she turned to head up the staircase, the two servants following quickly with giggles just barely held back. Zidane watched the three disappear to the next floor before he sighed heavily and walked out of the hallway, making his way out of the castle and to a guard tower. For the first time in weeks, Zidane was intentionally seeking out the last person he wanted to see: Steiner.

Lo and behold, he found him on his first try. Up in a western tower that barely had any good visuals on the rest of the kingdom, sat Captain Steiner, slumbering heavily in a chair with his armored body leaning against the stone wall. This was rather bizarre, Zidane noted mentally. It was very unlike the man to be asleep, what with being so dedicated to his job. The Genome shook his head and approached the man, wisely standing at a distance and poking him annoyingly in the cheek.

"Hey, Rusty, wake up."

The man did not rouse.

"Rusty, c'mon, wakey-wakey!"

Still no movement. Sneering, Zidane took a few steps back and cupped his hands around his mouth before shouting, "Holy hell, Captain! We're under attack! They're comin' from the west! The Queen's in danger!" He added in a few sounds effects, as unrealistic as they were, to add to the moment, and it worked. Steiner was awake immediately, jumping to his feet and drawing his sword.

"Guard the Queen! Man the towers! We won't let 'em in!" He flailed for a moment, knocking over his chair and turning to charge for the doorway, but stopped when he saw Zidane there, arms crossed and pursed lips just barely holding back his laughter. It took a moment, but it finally absorbed itself into the captain's mind that they were indeed not under attack and he had been caught sleeping on the job. Steiner growled and stepped back, but did not sheath his sword. Zidane noticed but barely registered it as a threat.

"Mornin', Cap'n."

"You whelp!" Steiner shook an angry fist at the smaller man. "False alarms are no laughing matter! You're lucky I didn't attack you right on the spot!"

"Dream on, old man," Zidane retorted quickly, crossing the small room to the chair that had been knocked over. Setting it upright, he took a seat and leaned back, watching Steiner with amusement in his eyes. "Now just what were you doing sleeping on the job?"

Steiner stuttered for a moment, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse as he sheathed his sword. After a few failed attempts, Zidane finally cut him off.

"S'okay, old man, I get it. Paranoia gets to us all sometimes."

"Paranoia!" Steiner scoffed, crossing his arms. "I've no idea what you're talking about!"

"C'mon, admit it. I get that feeling sometimes, too." Zidane's eyes were suddenly far-off, and the captain could see that he was serious now. "It's kinda scary how peaceful it is. I've never been around such a long stretch of passive atmosphere. No one ever believes it can last, but it somehow has, and I guess everyone's just waiting for something bad to happen." Zidane's eyes fell. "We're all waiting for something to disrupt our peace."

Steiner said nothing for a moment before scoffing again. "You think so little of human nature? It is possible for people to maintain happiness."

"You certainly don't think so," Zidane accused lightheartedly. "That's why you fell asleep. You've been up for almost a week straight, watching and waiting. You smelled something in the air and now you're on your toes. Can't blame you, I saw Beatrix do the same. She's out cold right now."

A fleeting moment of panic passed through Steiner's eyes before Zidane put his hands up in innocence.

"She's fine, just tired. You should try getting some rest, too. Didn't know if you knew this, but people need sleep to live."

"I know that, fool!" Steiner marched over, trying to intimidate the thief, but instead of jumping out the chair like he normally would, Zidane stayed rooted to his spot, arms crossed, eyebrows raised in interest.

"Ooh, scary."

"Be silent! And explain yourself!"

"...What?"

"What are you doing up here? Have you not a responsibility to her Majesty? Why are you here when you should be protecting her?"

"Chill out, it's not like we're actually under attack," Zidane tried to reason, standing from the chair and moving to the wide open window. He took a seat on the sill, eyes cast to his own boots. "I just needed to talk to you, is all."

This caught Steiner by surprise. After weeks of trying avoid him, Zidane now wanted to talk to him? "About what?" Steiner caught himself asking before he realized it.

The thief shrugged as if he had no idea, though words were brimming in his mind. "Just some stuff... Can't really talk to anyone else about it..."

"Her Majesty cannot offer help?"

"Not really something she can help with... It sorta has to do with her."

Steiner suffered a severe momentary panic wherein he believed that Zidane would suddenly want to discuss bedroom etiquette with him and needed a male's perspective on it. The Captain cleared his throat nervously. "I-I'm not sure I would be of any greater assistance..."

"Well I can't ask Freya 'cause she'd just be stuck-up about it, Vivi's too young, as is Eiko, and none of the Tantalus guys know a thing about making a woman happy."

Steiner was about ready to have a hernia, and his face reflected it. Zidane hadn't made it obvious that he was aware.

"Steiner, I'm not gonna ask you for sex tips. Chill out, I make her plenty happy on my own."

The Captain's relief was short-lived, letting out a heavy sigh before clutching his fists in anger. "Why, you scum! How dare you lay your hands on the princess!"

"Update, Rusty. It's been a year, she's a Queen now, and I've been laying my hands on every part of her this whole time. Don't act like you didn't know that." Zidane rolled his eyes, unusually unamused by the conversation. As Steiner tried to clear the words of shock from his throat, Zidane continued. "Seriously, I need your input. If I don't talk about this soon, I'm gonna crack. Dagger's on to me, she knows something's up."

Finally, Steiner seemed to calm down enough that he was willing to listen, though tentatively. "So I'm finally graced with your problem, after weeks of acting like a sociopath?"

Zidane's eyebrows quirked. "A sociopath? Really? I didn't think I was that bad..."

"You've been avoiding me like the plague and you hardly make eye contact with her Majesty anymore. I'd say sociopath is the perfect description of your poor attitude lately." Steiner fell back into his regular authoritative role, performing it perfectly, which was becoming easier for him. Zidane laughed a little and once again let his eyes focus on his boots.

"Then I'll get straight to the point: I think I'm about to break Dagger's heart."

This definitely caught Steiner off-guard, who even took a step back and allowed a look of shock to cross his face. Zidane chuckled at his reaction and started swaying back and forth, ignoring the danger of falling from the window and plummeting a very long, long way down to the grass below.

"It's been a year and it'd seem that I would be more openly-affectionate with Dagger, but truth is I can't. It's not like I don't think I got it in me, 'cause I know I do. It's just... There are always people watching, people who can say things and spread rumors." Zidane's face held shame. "I can't take those risks."

"So you brush her Majesty off because of a little embarrassment?" Steiner was trying his hardest not to look shocked. Honestly, he wasn't sure why anything that monkey could do would shock him anymore.

Zidane shook his head. "Not embarrassment, not at all. Haven't you seen the big picture at all, Rusty?" When Steiner cocked his head to the side in thought, the thief continued. "Dagger is Queen Garnet, ruler over the whole of Alexandria. She's young, painfully beautifully, and painfully unwed." Steiner still didn't seem to catch on. Zidane rolled his eyes. "Let me ask you this; If you ever saw a man you didn't know but was known to have shady past sneak into her Majesty's bedroom, what would you do?"

"Why, I'd run in there and apprehend the scoundrel for assaulting the Queen!"

"What if he's not assaulting her? What if they're just chatting it up and having a good ol' time?"

"I'd still kick him out! And banish him from Alexandria!" Steiner announced loudly, though it was obvious to either of them that even the Captain of the Knights of Pluto did not have that kind of authority. "To think that some lowly scum would dare to allow himself into this castle, and in to her Majesty's private bedchambers, no less! What would everyone think if they were to see her Majesty with such likes? Rumors would be spread that the Queen were being courted by street vermin! I shiver at the thought!"

To anyone else, that could've been insulting, but Zidane had heard those nicknames all his life (as much of it as he could remember, anyway), so each insult merely flew in one ear and out the other. He simply smiled and waited in anticipation for the message to click loud and clear in Steiner's head. And when it finally did, it was more than obvious. Steiner recoiled, eyes flying to the thief seated on the window and mouth agape. If Zidane could find any humor in the moment, he'd have laughed at the stupid expression on the stupid man's face. "Okay, Rusty, you gettin' it yet?"

"HAVE YOU IMPREGNATED THE QUEEN?"

Zidane choked a little, flinching harshly backwards. "What? No!"

Wherein Steiner would've produced an argument or, rather, an over-the-top interrogation, he instead relaxed a little, for some reason trusting the other man's words. He seemed to now understand where the thief was coming from. "Even still, you are her..." (He flinched at the thought of using the word "lover") "...suitor. Everyone in the castle is well aware of this."

"But not everyone in the city, where an opinion counts." Zidane hopped down from his seat, leaning back against the wall and digging his hands into his pockets. "Once word gets out on the streets that the Queen is spending her nights with her bodyguard, a nomadic nobody, they're gonna start... saying things. Less than flattering things, and about her."

"I do not see how this should trouble you. While it would be most unfortunate if harsh rumors were to spread about her Majesty, I doubt she would let it get to her. If anything, after a while she'd have a conference with the town to formally announce your relationship."

"Yeah, that shouldn't happen." Zidane hardly even dared to look Steiner in the eyes anymore. "No matter how much she sugar-coats the deal, all everyone will see is the young queen being stupid and reckless. She'll get nothing but criticism and doubtful glares. She's got it rough enough being the queen at such a young age with practically no one to guide her aside from her screwy uncle. The last thing she needs is everyone second-guessing her decisions based on her initial choice to trust herself, her castle, and the citizens' safety to a thief turned into a bodyguard by personal favor. The outcome of her confessing to the citizens does not bode well for her."

Steiner had listened to this silently, realizing with a heavy heart that the smaller man was indeed correct, but that didn't mean he was going to give up convincing him otherwise. "If you're so worried about this, then do not inform the citizens. Ignorance is bliss, sometimes."

"Wow, that was unlike you," Zidane chuckled, still avoiding eye contact. "You're usually the first person to demand someone come clean about something."

"If it's more advantageous in the end-"

"It won't be," he cut him off, back stiffening. "That's another thing. There won't be an end, per se. Where do relationships normally go from here? 'Cause I can't say I've ever really made it past this point in one before, but from what I can gather, there's a whole journey ahead of us. I love her, you know that, and even if we do keep this a secret from everyone outside, something's gonna give after a while." Zidane shuffled one boot against the floor nervously. "I'm... _with_ her a lot, y'know. For a year, we've been lucky, but eventually... I think it's pretty obvious she might turn up one morning sick."

Steiner didn't seem to understand, and Zidane sighed, agitated slightly.

"She's gonna get pregnant eventually, Rusty."

Steiner guffawed at the thought, but Zidane didn't give him much time to react.

"So even if we don't tell everyone what's going on between the two of us, one day Dagger's gonna walk out in front of the citizens and it's gonna be obvious that she's got _someone_ in her love-life once she gets along in her pregnancy. If I make myself known to them, they'll accuse her of having poor judgement. If I continue to hide our relationship, they'll think she just got seduced and knocked up during a one night stand, and again they'll consider her a poor decision-maker." Zidane finally looked up at Steiner. "Nothing good will come out of me staying with her."

That last sentence finally seemed to hit home, and Steiner gaped at him. "Are you meaning to tell me that... you intend to leave her Majesty?"

The shame was apparent in Zidane's eyes as he let his face drop again, his shoulders now going stiff. "If I stay, I'd have to break off the relationship, and I don't think either of us can handle seeing each other every day and not be able to be together. I think it'd be most beneficial in the end if I just kinda... stayed away." Finally, the thief stood straight though his eyes were still on the ground, anywhere but near the horrible shocked expression currently burning holes into his skull. "There's a cargo airship leaving late tonight. Thought I'd hop on it and see where it takes me. Might stay in Lindblum for a while 'til I get my bearings." He lifted his head a little. "Let's keep this between us for now, okay?"

A pregnant pause filled the air, one where the captain tried to arrange words in his mind to properly scream at the other man, but in the end, he could only say one thing. "You know I have no intention of not telling her Majesty all of this, and I think you know that. You really expect me to just keep this our little secret? You're going to break her heart!"

"Yeah, I know," Zidane scoffed. "That's why I said for now. You can tell her later, but at least wait a week until I'm in the clear and out of Lindblum. Then blurt out anything you want to her. I'd prefer if you'd tell her a lie, something like 'He doesn't love you anymore, he went skirt-chasing'. Anything that might dissuade her from chasing after me. Alexandria needs her here, not off on some journey to find her former bodyguard." He started to walk towards the door but stopped next to the taller man, finally glimpsing up at him. "I think we've all gathered what kind of person she is, and no matter how strong her front is, she's gonna cry. I mean, not to sound full of myself, but she's gonna miss me. Don't try to distract her from it, just let her vent and get it out of her system, that way she'll be less inclined to investigate my disappearance. I'm counting on you, Steiner." He tapped his metal shoulder with his fist once before continuing for the door, but Steiner's voice stopped him.

"You're being a coward."

"I know," Zidane called over his shoulder. "But if being a coward means Dagger's life will be easier, then I'll do it a thousand times over."

"Why'd you even bother to come back if you were just going to make her miserable? She was doing fine until you came. She was just starting to get over you."

For that, Zidane didn't seem to have an answer. He paused for a long time, staring straight ahead, then let his head drop backwards to stare at the ceiling before answering with a heavy sigh, "I don't know... I wasn't thinking..."

"Well, your recklessness will be her pain!" Steiner clenched his fists in anger. "You claim she'll be accused of poor judgement were the townspeople to see her with you, but what of when you leave? She'll go back to being lethargic and quiet with forced smiles, just like she was before you came back!"

"It's a no-win situation, I get it, Rusty." Zidane glared at him from over his shoulder. "But she'll get over it. Make her get over it. This is the less painful route and you know it. You can try to stop me all you want, but if you know what's best for the kingdom and for her, you'll keep your mouth shut for at least a week." His gaze softened. "Just keep her from walking into walls, okay? She's probably gonna be out of it for while." Not giving the other man a chance to respond, Zidane gave his final farewell wave and walked out of the room, leaving a dumbstruck Steiner to contemplate the very sad future of his queen.

* * *

Chapter 1 - end  
To Be Continued

* * *

AN: I don't usually upload stories one chapter at a time, but I figure since this is gonna take me a while to write and I don't have the entire plot worked out yet, I might as well give you guys one chapter. Not to mention the story actually gets more hits this way, so that's cool, too.

Review, please and thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

Where My Foreboding Thoughts Lead - Chapter 2  
Yosuke  
Romance/Drama

AN: Depressing chapter is depressing. Enjoy the drama, my lovelies.

FF9 not mine.

* * *

The bedchambers were silent save for the heavy sigh resounding every ten minutes. Garnet sat in her bed atop the sheets, staring at the satiny veils that pooled from the canopy. She'd been alone in that room for about an hour, trying in vain to keep her mind from wandering to Zidane. Instead, she tried to think about... anything else, exhausting her mind as she went through checklists of things she was supposed to do before retiring for the night, and then other checklists of things she would have to do in the morning. She'd bid her servants a good night, but somewhat regretted it. She didn't like being alone, contrary to her past full of bouts of escape into isolation. Back then, she needed to be away from people so she could think and figure out ways to stop the travesties befalling the world. But now all that was over, and she wanted her personal bodyguard there. She wanted Zidane's company.

Perhaps he was too busy. That's right, she thought. He was writing a letter to their old comrade. Who was she to come between friends? Well, she _was_ a queen, but she was their companion foremost. If Zidane needed time to be with the other people that had fought alongside him just as hard as she had, then so be it. She should've slept alone that night. Garnet sighed once more and lay down on her side, resting her head against the plush pillow in hopes that she might soon fall asleep to the sound of the breeze whispering through her window.

Her eyes shot open. Through? She knew she wouldn't have been able to hear the wind if the window was shut, and she could definitely feel a draft coming in... She jerked to her right side, propping herself on her elbow as her gaze suddenly beheld Zidane, standing at her bedside with his regular boyish smile on his face.

"Hey, don't let me stop you. You could use some sleep every now and then, y'know. Besides," he sat down beside her. "You're, dare I say, even more gorgeous when you sleep."

"Zidane," she breathed out, sitting up fully. "That took a while. Did you finish your letter to Freya?"

"Yeah," he lied, beginning work on unhooking his gauntlets. "I'll leave it with a Moogle in the morning." Tossing the items to the floor, he unharnessed the sheaths from his chest and belt and had them join the gauntlets. Garnet watched absentmindedly, once again picking up on the feeling that... Zidane was lying. Her heart went a little heavy. Something was up and he wasn't planning on telling her anytime soon.

"Zidane..."

"Hey, I don't get a goodnight kiss or nothin'?" Zidane leaned away from her as his eyes feigned scrutiny of her. "Really? And here I thought I was something special."

"Stop being so dramatic," she quickly shot back defensively, a blush highlighting her cheeks as her shoulders tensed. She had no problem with showing him affection, but when he had to be so verbal about it, it took her for a loop. She still wasn't accustomed to "I love you"s and "Kiss me"s spoken so freely. It wasn't something she'd grown up with, so it was all still somewhat new to her, despite having been with Zidane for a year.

The thief cut her thoughts short with a loud sigh. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get it myself." And with no more warning than that, Zidane pushed her down onto the pillows, a hand braced safely against her shoulder, and he lay on top of her, catching her in a playful kiss. Garnet squealed and gave a halfhearted shove against his chest, though it barely moved him. When Zidane finally eased up a little, it was only for a moment so he could stare down into her eyes. "Oh, and by the way, don't scream this time. The last thing I need is Rusty running in here, thinkin' I'm tying you up and having my way with you."

Garnet frowned. "I did not scream before."

"Yeah, you did," Zidane laughed, shifting his weight so he could press her down more easily. "Given, I did sneak up on you from under the sheets last time. But still..."

"Zidane, you're insufferable!"

"Yeah," he laughed again. "I know." He neared her face a little more, just barely breathing across her lips. "But you love me for it."

She had no idea why the sudden closeness between them was making her nervous, as they had been intimate several times before. Perhaps it was the close scrutiny of his stare? No, he'd watched her many times before. Often times when she lay in that blissful stage of nirvana nestled between sleep and awake, the one where you can hear the night around you but your body and mind just don't care to understand where you are, Garnet could somehow feel the intense gaze of Zidane's eyes looming over her, watching her intently in what could either be a fit of insomnia or pure dedication to duty. His eyes were always there, watching her. Even sometimes during their lovemaking, his face would be just above her own, staring down at her with such a burning look that Garnet could feel no better response than to shudder. In the past, she never took his intensity seriously (mainly because he rarely showed it; he tended to be a free spirit so often it was hard for him to come across as that mature). But ever since he'd revealed his heart to her, bearing his limited memories and his dim soul, all she could ever see him as was a serious person, one far too afraid of being hurt to risk giving himself to anybody. The jovial persona everyone had become accustomed to was just a tediously constructed mask over his worry-stricken soul. Garnet knew this for a fact.

And that was exactly what she saw when she gazed up into Zidane's eyes right then.

The real him, the real Zidane Tribal, was sweeping through that glance right then, the humorous facade gone to show the undeniable worry in her lover's face. Zidane had been trying to hide something before, and now he was genuinely showing it. He even looked downright scared. Something was very wrong, and Garnet needed to know.

"Zidane... Please tell me what's wrong," she spoke softly, as if worried she'd spook him. Almost immediately, as if prepared to receive that command, Zidane smiled and kissed her again.

"What's wrong? I should be asking you that. You look like you're gonna cry." Ah, typical. Deflection. It was the easiest way to avoid a problem. But Garnet was adamant.

"No, Zidane, _you're_ the one who has a problem, and I need to know what it is."

"My problem is you're still wearing clothes. Let's remedy this situation, shall we?" His hands grabbed her hips and tugged her down a little, then slid quickly up the inside of her nightgown. Garnet squeaked in response and tried to block his hands, but she failed to reach them in time and shivered from his venturing fingers.

"Zidane, stop avoiding this... If something is wrong, I need to know..."

But he didn't answer. Instead, he set to work on getting her gown off, to which she struggled against pathetically. In the end, she succumbed to his ministrations and let the subject of Zidane's problem die. Oh, well. She could always ask him the next day. It's not like this would be the last chance she'd have to find out, right?

...Right?

* * *

It seemed almost ominous and foreboding how the fog had rolled in the next morning, blanketing the town with a strange apathy that felt unnatural to anyone who looked outside. It was pretty standard weather for that time of the year, however some people just couldn't overlook it as a foreshadowing of things to come.

Queen Garnet was one of those people. She sat, rigid and shivering, by the window in her bedchambers. Her silk robe was wrapped around her yet it hardly did a thing against the chill of the early morning. She wasn't sure why she'd woken up so early. It felt as if her stomach was in knots, like something just wasn't right. To no surprise, she'd woken up in bed alone. Zidane often took off first thing in the morning, and Garnet had to expect it was because he didn't want to be caught in such a compromising position with her when the servants would enter the room to rouse the queen from her sleep.

But it was at least another hour and half before the servants were due in there. So why had Zidane left so early? She tried not to let the worry gnaw at her mind, however she just couldn't keep from staring out the window absentmindedly, impatiently awaiting Zidane's return.

Two hours passed. At one point, the servants entered to assist the queen with preparing for breakfast, but for the most part she was alone in the room. Eventually, she gave up and wandered downstairs for her meal, where she was greeted by a pleasant Beatrix and a sullen Steiner. When she tried to inquire about Steiner's offset attitude, Beatrix could only shrug in response. "I've been trying to get him to tell me what's wrong all morning and he seems hellbent on staying silent." The general looked her partner over once in worry. "I thought he was sick at first, but now I'm concerned it may be something else."

Garnet also stared at Steiner with worry etched into her face, but she knew that if Beatrix could not get the man to speak, then she wouldn't have much more luck. Using her place as the Queen seemed like a cheap trick to get her way, so she didn't want to goad the captain into speaking when he was obviously so against it. So she carried on with breakfast, sharing pleasantries with Beatrix over coffee before a servant rattled off a list of things that needed tending to for the day. Garnet nodded to each item on the list and excused herself from the table, making her way outside to resume her role as ruler.

The rest of the day went on as usual, except the notable lack of presence from the queen's undignified bodyguard. Beatrix tried to reassure Garnet, telling her that the thief had more than likely taken off into the city to catch up with friends, or perhaps to quietly still a group of scoundrels. The young queen tried to believe her, but as dessert was served that evening, Garnet was becoming more and more edgy. Once it was time to retire for the night, the girl was anything but tired. She paced her room restlessly, eyes watching the window for Zidane to enter through, as he usually did when he was feeling playful.

It's not like Zidane had never left for a day before, and this was what confused the white mage the most. At least two or three times a month, Zidane would take off somewhere and not return until the next day or the day after. Sometimes he left with no warning or note. Garnet had become accustomed to this, and wondered deeply why it was this didn't feel like any of those other times. Something wasn't settled right in her. The eerie feeling that morning, the awkward atmosphere, Steiner's silence... It all made her feel like something was terribly wrong.

But rather than pester others with her restlessness, she simply crawled into bed, leaving her window wide open so Zidane would have no trouble should he return that night. Sleep evaded her for some time, but eventually the softness of her bed seemed to coax her body into relaxing, and her eyes shut as she fell into sleep.

The fog had resettled over Alexandria once again the next morning, and just like before, Zidane was nowhere to be found. Pain and fear and worry knotted her stomach several times as she tried to carry on with her day like nothing was wrong, but it was beyond evident to everyone that something was deeply unsettling the beautiful monarch. Garnet was either pacing furiously about the room or sitting in one spot for several hours, staring into space, unmoving. Few dared to disturb her, and the ones who had were met only with the most hollow eyes, face drawn in worry, unable to focus properly on anything except for her missing lover. Garnet was deaf to the world around her.

This carried on for a week, and though Garnet's usually peaceful attitude was deflating bit by bit, the one who seemed to be carrying the most weight on their shoulders was Steiner. If there was anyone who could look more lost and forlorn than the heartbroken queen, it was the captain. He carried himself around the castle with little more than a sigh every five steps, looking as if he were ready to vomit this great burden that was making him pale. This, consequently, brought down Beatrix as well, who began to worry herself sick over her own beau's condition. It seemed like a harsh chain reaction how one person's worries transcended their own mind and spread quickly to the rest of the castle like a terrifying plague. Zidane would be the only cure to this sickness, if only he'd come home.

Garnet forced herself not to cry. She'd shed so many tears for him already when they'd had to leave him behind after their final battle for humanity, so long ago. Once she had managed to "suck it up", so to speak, she finally came to terms with the thief's disappearance, forcing herself to believe he was truly gone so as to make life better for herself and for her kingdom. It was unfair to them that their lives seem so dim simply because she was unhappy. So she forced a smile for a long time, pretending like she didn't still have that tiny shred of hope lodged somewhere in her heart that maybe Zidane was okay somewhere out there, pretending like at any time he wouldn't show up to whisk her off her feet and make up for all their lost time. She'd made herself believe she had a new life then, with or without Zidane.

And then he came back.

Once he'd thrown off that old tattered cloak on the stage, calling to her, Garnet felt that little piece of hope she'd kept stored away grow tremendously in size, and her pretend world of pretend happiness shattered instead, showing her that her life was still whole because he was back, and he promised her that day, _he promised her_... that he'd never disappear like that again.

Perhaps it had been foolish of her to believe a thief and actor's words. But the more rational side of her said that Zidane had always been her friend first and foremost, more than a criminal or Genome or gambler or whatever else. He'd proven himself a valuable person to her, and indeed very trustworthy. So why had he forced her into this situation to not trust his words? He'd promised he'd never leave again... and yet here she was, alone, aching, and craving his presence so deeply that with deep shame, she touched her fingertips to her cheeks to find them wet. She was crying. She couldn't lock away this pain again. She didn't have the strength. She needed Zidane back. She needed answers.

Resolute in her mission, the white mage wiped her tears away roughly before stomping out of her room and into the large, very quiet hallway. No one was around. They hadn't the courage to disturb her majesty.

Frowning deeply, she charged for the nearest room, determined to find somebody. She managed to locate a suddenly terrified chambermaid, having never seen her queen look so upset.

"Find Captain Adelbert Steiner and bring him to the parlor room," Garnet said quietly, hurting herself to hear her own voice so demanding but too clouded with agitation to think her actions through more clearly. The maid stammered a quick "Yes, Your Majesty", and hurriedly scuffled away to locate the missing knight. Garnet grimaced as she ran the replay of the previous moment through her head, realizing how awful a ruler she must have seemed, but shook the thoughts from her head. She was going to have to be an awful ruler, at least for another few moments, if only to interrogate a certain captain. If fate was going to deal such a crippling blow to her, then she was ready to play hardball.

Garnet could almost feel the thick tension in the air when Steiner arrived at the parlor room doors; a cloud of apprehension seemed to enter first and simply wait there while the chambermaid Garnet had ordered viciously earlier stepped in to greet the queen.

"Y-Your Majesty, Captain Steiner is here."

Garnet stood from the couch she was seated on and nodded slightly. "Thank you. Send him in."

The maid almost immediately disappeared, and with a noticeable timidity, Steiner entered in her place, an obviously forced look of indifference on his face, though perspiration dotted his forehead. "You... You wanted to see me, Your Highne- er, Your Majesty?"

"Please sit down, Steiner," Garnet spoke in a hushed tone, which sent cold shivers down his spine. He'd heard the late Queen Brahne speak in such a voice before, and though the two were not blood related, Steiner couldn't help but see the harsh presence of the demanding late queen when his current queen spoke in such severe undertones.

With trepidation, Steiner took a seat in one of the smaller, intricately designed wooden chairs near a small table holding flowers. He almost didn't fit in it and had to adjust himself awkwardly a few times before giving up and resorting to remaining uncomfortable for the duration of... whatever was about to happen, though he had a pretty good idea of what that would be. He was fairly sure the chair would be the least uncomfortable thing in the room in just a moment.

Garnet didn't speak for a moment, simply standing in her spot and staring at the knight with a mixed look of sadness and frustration. Finally, that look melted away to one of a more pleading nature as she took a few steps forward. "Steiner, I know that you know what's happened... I know you know where Zidane is."

Steiner gulped. Only through sheer force of will did he remain silent.

"And I know Zidane has probably told you not to tell me... He left of his own free will... right?"

The knight found no harm in nodding, though he suddenly felt like that great weight he'd been carrying had shifted to his neck; it hurt just to move his head in any informative response.

Garnet laced her fingers together in front of her stomach nervously. "He's... He's not in Alexandria anymore, is he?"

He responded with a slow, painful head shake. Garnet breathed in once, sharply, as if she'd been stung by a fire. She hadn't wanted to believe what her gut had been telling her, that Zidane hadn't only left the castle, but had left the kingdom as well. But she'd known it to be true, and now this proved it. Biting her lip, she quickly and gracefully fell to a chair beside Steiner, hands immediately reaching out to grasp his padded ones.

"Steiner," she began again, eyes doe-like and on the brink of tears once more. She leaned in close as if that would somehow have some influence in her pleading. "We all went through the same journey together, and we've all... grown close in some ways. We're comrades, _friends_... so..." she choked on her own words, terrified that her begging wouldn't work and Steiner would remain silent. "So... would it be so terrible if I were to know where he'd gone off to?"

Steiner was silent for a long moment, nervousness swallowing him whole. He loathed the idea of denying his queen anything she wanted, especially something that could cure her sadness so easily, but the words Zidane had spoken to him a week ago rang in his ears loudly. As hard to swallow as they had been, the monkey had been right. The pain Dagger would feel would only be temporary, and save her much grief in the long run. It was best to avoid all the trouble of being in a relationship with someone who was, in the eyes of the general public, an underling in comparison to a queen. With the risks of possible pregnancies and public ridicule, Garnet would benefit most from the separation.

Fighting back the nearly irresistible urge to just blurt everything out to her, Steiner swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and let his head hang. "Your Majesty, I would tell you anything you wanted to hear to make you happy again, but it's... it's not quite that easy..."

"How can it not be easy, Steiner?" She leaned her head down, craning her neck so that she might see his face. "Why is it that you think you can't tell me? It certainly can't be that difficult to just say it." With a heavy heart, she braced herself for the next question. "Is it... Is it that Zidane thinks it will hurt me to know?"

Steiner waited a few moments before nodding slowly, never looking up at her. Dagger leaned back a little, releasing her knight's hands and letting her eyes fall to her lap as she tried to breathe normally. Zidane wasn't only hiding himself, he was hiding his reasoning, too. He was trying to keep her powerless in this situation, and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand being powerless against anybody. She'd experienced it far too many times, and she wouldn't take it anymore.

Breathing deep, she straightened herself in the chair, closing her eyes for a moment as she formed the proper sentences in her head. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right, and try to make it as painless as possible, though honestly she couldn't tell who it would be most painful for in the end.

"Steiner... However it is that Zidane convinced you not to speak, you will overlook it. Zidane should have no influence over you since I dubbed him in equal standing with you. He is not in charge of you, I am. Therefore..." she held her breath. "I command you to tell me where he is and why he left."

She could practically see the man's will crumble, and they both seemed to let out a breath simultaneously. Steiner would never refuse a command from the person he'd sworn his life to, no matter how mundane or outrageous. Hell, if she wanted blood, he'd give her blood, if she asked it of him. But... no matter how much she commanded him, it would forever be a great ordeal for him to deliver the news that would break her heart.

Sighing heavily, Steiner leaned back in his chair but never lifted his eyes to her. "He left for Lindblum last week, on a cargo ship. I know not if he is still there, but even if he were, I doubt it'd be for much longer. He's... how should I say this?... He's avoiding you, Your Majesty."

Judging by the look on her face, Steiner was pretty sure he hadn't worded it quite right. Garnet's eyes unfocused for a moment, shock settling in over a slight twinge of offense. Zidane was avoiding her? _Avoiding_ _her?_ What for? What reason could he possibly have to avoid her? Because she was royalty and he thought himself beneath her? She thought they'd already moved past that. What other reason could there possibly be?

Steiner's fidgeting caught Garnet's attention, causing her to believe that she had accidentally asked the question aloud, though either way, she would get him to answer it for her.

"He believes it is in your best interest if he were to stay away. He claims that continuing a relationship with you would cause irreparable damage to your image."

The information would hardly seem shocking to anyone else, but to Garnet, it felt like a low blow. She almost felt winded from the explanation, like Zidane had taken all the air from the room when he'd left. Damage? To her image? How absurd! It was ludicrous!

Steiner could easily see the emotions playing through his queen's head, as it translated quite vigorously to her frame as she held a silent one-sided argument with herself, her eyes darting around as if she were trying to find someone else to talk to besides her captain, who had so suddenly become her harbinger of despair. It was only after the useless struggle to keep everything bottled up that Garnet's head sank to her knees, hunching all the way forward as sobs threatened to spill out of her mouth. She managed to push them back for just a moment to speak once more. "Steiner... Thank you for your cooperation. You may leave now."

Like a dog released from its leash, Steiner bolted from his chair and made his way to the door, but stopped on the threshold in hesitation, eyes turning back to his queen and wondering just how terrible the damage would be once Garnet picked herself back up, if she ever would. This tragedy had happened before. To be honest, she'd lost someone she cared about on more than one occasion. Not only when Zidane had stayed behind at the Iifa Tree so long ago, but when the young girl's adoptive mother had passed away on the beach, right before her eyes. She'd also watched the people of the cities she vowed to protect, in Lindblum, Alexandria, and Cleyra, suffer horrible fates at the hands of Eidolons. Even long before that, in some memory she likely would never recall but still haunted her in the recesses of her mind, she had lost her friends in Madain Sari, and her biological mother at sea.

This poor girl had suffered so much in her life, so much loss, so much separation from people she needed. Whether or not Zidane had been aware of this, Steiner would probably never know, but he just hoped that whatever had been going through that damn monkey's head had been worth it, and for his sake, would turn out for the better for the heartbroken white mage. If Steiner had to watch his queen fall to pieces so small, and become unable to find the strength to return to life, be it as a ruler or not, Steiner would _make_ the break-up worth the while, by hunting down that monkey himself and making him pay.

Steiner forced himself to leave the room, abandoning Garnet, who cried well into the night.

* * *

Chapter 1 - end  
To Be Continued

* * *

AN: The author forced herself to leave the cliffhanger, abandoning the readers, who cried well into the night.

Chapter 3 will get here eventually. In the meantime, review please.


	3. Chapter 3

Where My Foreboding Thoughts Lead - Chapter 3  
Yosuke

FF9 not mine.

* * *

Days passed at an excruciatingly slow pace, and the kingdom felt every insufferable minute go by with the downtrodden spirits of their queen. Of course the citizens were none the wiser to why their ruler had failed to make public appearances as of late, or lend a more firm hand in situations about the town that needed immediate fixing. Knights and servants were sent out in her stead, and though the kingdom remained peaceful for the most part, the daunting feeling of a heavy depression was all too noticeable, and the people forced themselves to become complacent in this new atmosphere, as uncomfortable as it may have been. Some sent well wishes to Garnet, but she never responded. Instead she remained locked in her castle, unable to face the day as she once could. If Zidane wasn't with her, then there was no day. It was just one long pause in her life until she could be reunited with him.

Of course she'd sent Steiner out as one point or another to venture to Lindblum, to perhaps pick up on the thief's trail, however it became obvious to both of them, even before Steiner had returned, that the information Zidane had given the good captain was simply a ruse, a false trail to lead the queen further from his actual location. For all they knew, Zidane was possibly still in Alexandria, and was simply waiting for the search to die down to attempt to leave.

A Moogle or two were contacted, to ask if they'd seen the Genome, but no one had come across him. Beatrix sent a letter to Regent Cid in Lindblum, asking him to attempt a "low-key" lookout for the queen's love.

Two months passed and there was no word of Zidane.

It was with a resigned defeat and overwhelming sense of abjection that Queen Garnet eventually emerged from the castle, a painted expression of normalcy on her face, though the despair was easily read in her bloodshot eyes. She did smile to those who bid her a good day, but the smile was practiced and empty. Beatrix almost couldn't stand to be in the same room with the monarch, only because the gloom was so heavily emanating from Garnet that it nearly infected Beatrix and everyone else the queen came in contact with.

No one dared to speak Zidane's name after that. Steiner couldn't even look Garnet in the eyes anymore. He, instead, redirected his full energy into sending out secret troops to hunt down Zidane, if not to bring him back, then to punish him heavily for the damage he'd done to the kingdom.

Month three came about, though it was rather unnoticed to everyone, even to the queen, who had long since stopped counting the days since she'd last seen... him. The kingdom had attempted to liven things up (much to Steiner's dismay) by holding a small fighting competition in the theatre district of the city. It was an eager try at rousing everyone's energy, seeing as the atmosphere of the kingdom of late had been rather lackluster, and several renowned swordsmen and fighters had been invited to partake of the chance to win a rather hefty bag of gil. The moment Steiner had heard of it, he'd dashed off into the streets to quell the uproarious behavior he so very much did not approve of, but the riot for a show was too loud, and he could do little more than screech pathetically at the men who eagerly awaited their turn to show their fellow citizens their best moves.

Steiner had thought to return to the castle to summon a team of knights to help end the ruckus, but much to his surprise, Beatrix emerged from the spectators.

"It's just a little fun, Steiner. Calm down," she had spoken lightly while drawing her sword. Save The Queen glimmered in the sunlight, catching the eye of many a competitor, as she forced her way through the crowd and to the ring that been set up for the fighters to duel in. Steiner could only watch with his jaw on the floor as the woman he loved once again shoved herself into danger for the mere joy of it. How in the world he had become attracted to such a _show-off_, he'd never understand. But he couldn't abandon the scene now, not with her safety at stake, and rather rudely pushed himself to the forefront of the spectators, intent on watching and ready to jump at the first sign that his lover was in danger.

Seven matches later, Beatrix remained undefeated, some giving up about halfway through once they realized that the woman they were fighting, General Beatrix, was far tougher than they'd given her credit for. Some had even forfeited before stepping in the ring, knowing all too well what the acclaimed General of the Alexandrian Army could do and had done in the past. The matches were underwhelming for her, as she didn't even bother to use her Seiken abilities, seeing as no one was worth the effort. Somewhere along the line, Steiner had begun cheering for her, though he quickly caught himself and stopped, dancing a little in his spot in anticipation.

"Are there no more takers?" the referee of the tournament called out in rather challenging manner, pointing widely to the crowd in hopes of sparking a reaction in someone. "Is no one _manly_ enough to take on this one woman? Surely one of you must be brave enough!"

Beatrix stood proudly in the center of the ring, tossing a thick ringlet of hair over her shoulder as murmurs from the crowd drifted her way, many saying things like, "I'm not that crazy", "I prefer to live", and "Eight-thousand gil is _not_ worth it".

As the referee gave out the last call for opponents and Beatrix began to contemplate which development project in the city she would invest her winning wages in, a sudden silence fell over a large part of the crowd, catching Beatrix and Steiner's attention. A small voice wafted over the people, and eventually they parted to show a young woman approaching the ring. Her long black hair swayed in the wind and her orange, figure-forming outfit caught the sunlight elegantly, creating a glow almost as if she were an angel. Bringing a light metallic racket in front of her, she stepped over the perimeter ropes and waited patiently at the edge of the ring.

Both Beatrix and Steiner were too stupefied to say anything at that moment, and the referee eventually beat them to the punch. "Q... Queen Garnet has stepped into the ring! Ladies and gentlemen, stick around! This fight shall surely be one to remember!"

"NO IT WON'T!" Both the general and the captain seemed to scream simultaneously as they charged Garnet, attempting to usher her out of the public's view, but she stood her ground with a strange sense of defiance, her demeanor calm and her face expressionless.

"Why not, Beatrix? This sounds like fun. Besides, weren't you both saying that I needed some kind of distraction?" Dagger stepped around them lightly and headed for a different side of the ring, then turned to face her opponent, bringing her racket to a ready position as she waited for the referee to signal the start of the fight.

"Y-Your Majesty, you can't be serious!" Steiner stammered, his shock so thorough that he couldn't wipe the expression from his face. Beatrix, always the more levelheaded one, managed to calm herself and approached her queen quietly, putting her hands on her small shoulders.

"Your Majesty, I can't imagine what you're going through, or the turmoil in your heart, but putting yourself into danger like this, as a means of being preoccupied from the issue-"

"Who says I'm in danger?" Dagger's eyes were big and glimpsed up at her general with a practiced look of pleading, one she'd used as a child to get her way. But unlike when she was younger, now the queen's eyes were hollow, lifeless, too torn with pain to bother showing emotion for anything. Her composure was steady and stern, but held the same aura of one who had just stopped caring. Beatrix had a very frightening momentary thought where Garnet was simply putting herself in this position to open herself up to death, to make her way out of the misery she was in much easier.

Garnet seemed to read that in her eyes and gave a short, empty laugh. "General Beatrix, please be rest assured that my reasons for coming here aren't cynical or self-destructive. I... just genuinely would like a good distraction." She shrugged the strong hands from her shoulders and took a step back. "Besides, I used to do a lot of fighting, too. Remember? I mean, I am not a skilled swordsman like yourself, but I can hold my own. I did so for a long time. Just ask Steiner." She gave another practiced smile and raised her racket again. Beatrix could do nothing but stare, no reasonable words forming in her brain to retaliate against the queen's illogical attitude. Perhaps she was right. Could she be trusted in a fight like this? It seemed innocent enough, and Beatrix could easily hold back so as not to harm her queen. And it would be a good distraction. If Garnet could find any joy in this moment, then who was she to stop her? Besides, if she ended up enjoying herself, Garnet may actually try focusing on arranging the competition to be an annual event, instead of focusing on her missing beau.

Breaking her thoughts was the sound of metal clanking heavily towards her from behind, and she quickly stuck out an arm to stop Steiner, who halted in his tracks and stared at Beatrix with the utmost look of disbelief.

"You're... You're not actually allowing this, are you?" Steiner wailed, nearly distraught with worry.

"You have nothing to fear, Steiner," Beatrix tried to reason, taking a few steps back to ready a fighting stance. "I'll make sure nothing severe happens."

The captain's face moved back and forth from Dagger to Beatrix so many times that he nearly fell over, before he finally threw his arms up in the air with resounded defeat and reluctantly removed himself from the ring, throwing one last worry-stricken glance at his queen. Who was he to argue with Queen Garnet if she wanted to do something to preoccupy her time with? Who was he to oppose Beatrix, a woman who outranked him? But couldn't he stop them as their friend?

Steiner suddenly felt very small as he settled in for the match, ready, once more, to pounce once he thought either of the women he cared about was in danger.

With plenty of time to build anticipation in the crowd, the referee finally started the match, causing a roar of cheering from the enthusiastic spectators as they relentlessly praised their queen, ready to see her in action once more. But Garnet made no immediate move, simply increasing her grip on her white mage racket and eyeing Beatrix very carefully. Truth be told, the weapon she had chosen was not well suited for offense (then again, most of her weapons weren't). But her aim wasn't to attack. She simply wanted to stretch out the battle for as long as she could; take a few hits, heal, impair Beatrix in some insignificant manner, then start all over again. She truly had wanted this fight to be a distraction. She didn't want to think about her misery anymore. She just wanted to focus on herself and surviving. Though honestly, she knew Beatrix wouldn't even think of trying to kill her. She was almost certain the good general had made a mental decision, prior to the match, to go easy on her. That wouldn't do. If they both made the fight too easy, it would be far too boring for the crowd. The referee might have even called the fight at a draw if no one was willing to risk a little blood.

As Dagger thought through her strategy to liven things up, Beatrix, too, worked out a plan to make some kind of attack without being brutal. Finally fed up with the inactivity, the general bolted towards her queen and swung her blade, more slowly than she normally would had it been a real threat opposing her. Garnet easily evaded and fell back a few steps, swinging her racket to send a ball of nearly-harmless magic at the other woman, who also dodged easily. This pattern continued on for a while, neither woman even breaking a sweat. As Garnet predicted, the crowd's enthusiasm was slowly diminishing, and even the referee seemed to be getting bored.

_What would Zidane do?_

The thought struck her so suddenly that she jerked visibly, and Beatrix had to quickly avert her own blade from hitting the queen, whom she'd expected to dodge. The general fell back a few steps and observed her suddenly silent ruler, unsure of this sudden change in her.

A cold chill passed through Garnet's body in a wave that almost nauseated her. Why had she thought that? Why was she resorting to Zidane's antics to help her out then? She had tried so hard to keep his name from coming to her mind, and all too suddenly, it was all she could think about. Zidane had been so good at getting attention. He could properly (and improperly) entertain anyone. What would he do in this situation? How would he entertain the crowd?

Spells, she thought. He wasn't proficient at them, but they certainly did liven things up. Still shaken from the dam she'd built suddenly breaking open rather violently, and in the middle of a battle, no less, Garnet timidly raised her staff and cast a small field of protection about herself, though truthfully she knew Beatrix wouldn't actually cause her enough harm to need the protect spell. Without pausing, she concentrated and attempted to induce a fit of silence on her opponent, though again, it was something rather useless to do, as Beatrix could easily block the spell.

_Zidane could be relentless sometimes..._

She cast the silence spell again, and Beatrix merely stood there as the light wave of energy bounced off of her, feeling no effect from the attack. A look of confusion came across her face. Had Garnet really cast the same spell twice? Didn't she think she, as the general, was better equipped for a battle that she could block such a silly spell?

At that point, Garnet's body began to shake, her arms trembling as it clutched the staff more tightly.

_If it didn't work, Zidane would get creative. Make a distraction?_

A bead of sweat went unnoticed to Dagger as it slid lazily down her face. She focused once more and tried a spell of confusion, but much like the silence spell, it had no effect. _Again_. She relented with the same spell, but by now Beatrix was confused enough that she didn't even need a spell to help her with it. What was her queen doing? What illogical behavior for what should've been an easy battle.

From the sidelines, Steiner had seemed to notice the peculiar string of attacks as well, and merely stood in silence to ponder his queen's actions. He'd seen her abilities in battle first-hand. She was nothing to scoff at, but right then... she was anything but challenging. She was almost erratic. This was not the same woman he'd fought beside on the plains of the Mist Continent. If this were a real battle, he was sad to say the white mage would very much be... _knocked out_, to say the least.

Back in the ring, Dagger's trembling had increased as the name of the man she loved, the simple thoughts of him, the memories of how he fought, what he had done, what he would do if he had been there right then, were rendering the poor woman into a silent fit of hysterics. She'd bottled it up for three months, her craving him, her need for him, her memories, her shattered heart, it was all rushing to her head and altering everything she knew about how to survive, even though the situation at hand was anything but life-threatening. Her mouth dry and her knees shaking, she cast another protection spell around herself, though the first one had yet to diminish any.

Perhaps she needed a wake up call, Beatrix thought hopefully, but held no desire to swing her blade at the miserable woman anymore. Instead she called on her short range of white magic abilities she'd learned over the years and cast a spell of reflection on herself. If Garnet persisted in casting these silly spells, then maybe getting hit with one would shake her out of her awful frame of mind.

Garnet hardly noticed the action, or the light red aura that danced in front of her opponent. Tears had begun to sting behind her eyes, and a painful lump built up in her throat. If this had been a real battle, and Zidane hadn't been there...

_I'd be dead. I'm nothing without him. I should be dead._

Her eyes had long since stopped staring at Beatrix, and instead had fallen to the ground, wide-eyed terror etched on her face as she clutched the racket tight to her body. This was misery. It was nothing but misery. She couldn't handle the sorrow she'd been forced to carry. She'd had to do it so many times in her life already. She couldn't live with it. But she didn't want to die.

_I just want Zidane._

In a zombie-like state, Garnet whipped her racket to cast some spell, anything that she could muster, which ended up being a lazy berserking spell. Beatrix's heart nearly stopped when she realized what it was and tried to recall the shield of reflection she had cast on herself, but it was too late. The dark aura of the spell bounced off her and moved straight back to Garnet, who had lost herself in the battle, too distraught to be aware of anything, or in the right mind to block anything. The berserking spell hit her, and she stumbled backwards, a hand flying to cover her eyes as if it had somehow physically stung her.

Steiner's yells were drowned out by the buzzing building in Dagger's head, like a swarming of wasps in her ears, and Beatrix broke out into a run to aid her queen, readying a remedy potion. But it all happened too fast.

_Zidane... Oh, Zidane... please... please come back... I'm dying..._

Pain swelled in her head and heat swallowed every inch of her skin, tears breaking free as she hunched forward, as if about to vomit. A stunning light fell from her skin, and her racket fell to the ground as she lost feeling in her arms. The light that emanated from her was nearly blinding, and Beatrix halted in her approach, holding a hand over her face to shield the rays from her eyes. The energy that rose in the younger woman's spot crackled and danced skywards, consuming her completely. When Beatrix could next see the beautiful queen, she saw her glow, saw her awash in a physical manifestation of her own emotional energy, saw the tears streaming down her face, and she saw the pure, unadulterated misery in her eyes.

The nearly-forgotten crowd stood in awestruck silence, many witnessing what they'd only heard about from stories and legends. A Trance was a rare thing indeed, and none could fathom the sight of their queen in such a state. If she had been powerful before, what would she be like now?

Steiner, having had witnessed comrades' Trances several times as well as his own, leapt into the ring, though at that point he wasn't sure who would need the protecting.

Garnet's body no longer shook as it had before. She straightened her body, head lifting to look at the clouds, her eyes staring at nothing except empty space as her arms rose skyward, a small chant escaping her lips, unbeknownst to her chaotic mind, still swept up in the backfired berserk spell.

Within seconds, the clouds were swept away in a violent wave, and out of the dark blue descended a horrifying image to every citizen, one they'd seen before and never wished to see again. They fled from the streets as Bahamut, strong and fast and angry, fell from the sky in swooping grace, stopping just short of the ground as it eyed its surroundings, smoke escaping from its open mouth and nostrils. People darted in every direction, chaos consuming the streets of Alexandria... Plenty of targets to choose from, and Bahamut wanted every single one to die in its smoldering dark flames. But it had been given its command, and the chosen prey stood before him in fearful silence. Beatrix had seen Bahamut before. She'd been there when the attack on Alexandria had happened, and had seen firsthand the destruction it could cause. If this creature could level a whole city, then her, as a single target, did not hold a bright outcome.

All Beatrix could focus on was the beady red eyes staring her down, the glimmering scales of its powerful, muscled body, and the flaring nostrils pushing out thick clouds of smoke. Its body had begun to brace itself to launch the attack it would need to take down its target, and had the general not been able to draw the sound of Steiner's voice separate from the sound of the heavy wings flapping wildly in the air and the screams of innocent civilians, Beatrix might not have been able to save herself in the situation.

"Beatrix! Beatrix!" Steiner's voice had finally reached the shaking general, who quickly rose Save The Queen before her and concentrated her aim on Garnet. From behind Bahamut, the queen still swayed on her feet, staring at the sky, too deluded by the berserking spell and the overwhelming emotion that had induced her Trance to comprehend what was really going on, and what the consequences would be. Beatrix had to make a hasty decision, to save herself and her queen.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty! Stock Break!" And with a heavy swing, the powerful attack was delivered to Garnet before Bahamut could begin its assault. The thunderous wave of energy struck the queen hard, knocking her clear off her feet and launching her to her back, knocking her out cold and making her very weak. Within a few seconds, the aura of the Trance died down, and Bahamut, in all its fury, disappeared, no longer consciously tied to its summoner.

Within seconds, Beatrix and Steiner were both at the queen's side, wary of her condition, and fretful that perhaps they'd gone too far. Their queen had been frightened, injured, and now lay cold and unresponsive on the stone earth with her face wet from tears, and they had no one to blame but themselves. Their thought processes were uniquely alike, in that they both reprimanded themselves so harshly for their ruler's current state, and as Steiner turned his head up to see the clouds resume their normal flow now that there were no disturbances from Eidolons to break them up, he could only sit and wonder at how right Zidane had been about their dreaded peace, and the foreboding feelings of disruption everyone had been expecting. Steiner hadn't wanted to agree with Zidane when he'd told him, but he knew it was true, and the unconscious girl at his feet was evidence of it.

* * *

Chapter 3 - end  
To Be Continued

* * *

AN: I really wanted to put some decent effort into the fight scene, to try and make it like the process of a turn-based battle sequence in the game without it coming off as horrendously boring to read. It's really the best I can do, and as far as I can imagine for right now, it will likely be the only fight scene in this story.

I'd also like to apologize for Dagger's slightly... Bella-ish behavior. It was not my intention, and I promise if you think about it, there are HUGELY significant differences between them, but still, she is a little depressing, and I'm sorry, but this story is categorized as "drama", so... yeah.

Reviews? Reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Where My Foreboding Thoughts Lead - Chapter 4  
Yosuke  
Romance/Drama

AN: This chapter would probably most appropriately be called a "segue chapter". Chock full of information and happenings readying themselves.

FF9 not mine.

* * *

The predictability was almost shameful when Garnet found herself stuck in a dream after she passed out. Of course she would have a nightmare, after having been struck with a berserking spell, cast by herself, nonetheless. And equally unsurprising was the subject of her dream, a lone subject sitting heavily in her heart.

Through the drowsy veil of her unconsciousness stood Zidane, smiling at her as he had when he'd separated himself from his comrades before returning to the Iifa Tree to find Kuja. It was there that Garnet had smiled back, but within that dream, she couldn't because she knew it would be her way of acknowledging, as she had back then, that he was leaving, and it was for the best. It was his decision. She couldn't accept that, so she couldn't smile, and was forced instead to remain stoic and wordless as her love turned from her and walked away. As he moved on, he gradually vanished, and Garnet relived the horrible moment she'd had to let him go, as she was carried away into the sky.

But this time was different.

Normally, as she had replayed this scene in her head before, intentional or not, she'd watched as Zidane became nothing more than a speck in the distance before the Iifa Tree's roots lifted to swallow him whole. But here there was no tree, only a dismal abyss, and there was no airship to take her away to the safety of Lindblum. This time, Zidane merely shifted into the darkness as if a spell had been cast upon him.

Further back, as he had vanished, a new form came into sight, sitting motionless on the ground. Its skin was pale, and a long tail lay behind it. All but these details were obscured, but when a long, slim feather breezed across the ground and to her feet, Garnet realized quickly that the form was that of Kuja, and Zidane had disappeared in his search for his brother.

It was a peculiar dream, but nothing that startled Garnet too much as she roused herself into wakefulness, wary of the glaring light of the morning and the much-too-warm sheets she was wrapped in. Groaning in discomfort, she pushed the lush comforter away and tried to sit up, but was quickly overcome with severe vertigo, and she was forced back down to her pillow. Nausea rolled through her stomach as she closed her eyes and kept her breathing deep. The berserking spell had certainly left its after-effects. She could still feel the heavily lingering throbbing from the headache she'd suffered. But honestly, the pain was all she remembered. Memories of Beatrix's surprised face as the queen's own spell reflected back at her all but washed away like a footprint on a sandy shore. All that was left was the loud buzzing noise and the heat in her skin. It was all she remembered.

She made a mental note to ask her general for details later as she once again attempted to sit up straight, this time much slower. Her body fought with her for a long moment before she finally won over and sat hunched over on the bed, her forehead nearly touching her knees. The sick feeling worked its way up to her throat, and she had to mentally will herself not to vomit.

That dream, she suddenly thought, had been at least a little strange. Why, of all times, was she thinking of Zidane going back for Kuja? Why would Kuja be in her dream? Was it a foreboding message? Did Kuja have something to do with Zidane's sudden disappearance?

The white mage tried to shake her head in disagreement, but found the movement disagreed with her as well, and she groaned again in nausea. Kuja was very likely not a part of that whole mess. It wasn't even guaranteed the creature was still alive, let alone influencing Zidane's relationship decisions.

But the feather at her feet bugged her. That frail, silver feather was so prominent in her thoughts that it was bothering her. Feathers had grown from Kuja, she remembered that much. It had been strange, but they'd adorned his silver hair naturally. So that feather at her feet had to have been his. So what did it mean that it had found her and not Zidane?

Her eyes found her window and tried to mentally gauge what time it was. It looked to be almost dusk, and she felt a sudden embarrassment for having slept so long. She supposed something from the battle had caused her to faint, but what exactly, she wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was time to find Beatrix and get some kind of recap.

Groaning as vertebrae in her back popped with her movements, she slid out of bed and walked sluggishly to her chiffonier, eyeing herself in the mirror to check her own condition. She looked alright, though her hair was a mess. Pulling her silk robe from the chair, she walked quietly to the door of her room, stepping out into the keep and looking around for any signs of life. Aside from the two guards just outside of her door, there was no one.

Garnet slipped her arms into the robe and tied it about her waist before closing the door to her room. "Excuse me," she spoke quietly to one of the guards. The soldier, a young woman with nary a differential trait to the other, saluted quickly and sharply.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Have either Beatrix or Steiner come by recently?"

"Your Majesty, Captain Steiner has left Alexandria. He did not disclose why."

Momentarily, fear's hands found Garnet's neck again, and she choked silently at the thought of another companion running off without so much as a word. "Did he... Did he say when he'd be back?"

If the guard had noticed the queen's trembling in her voice, she didn't acknowledge it. "He estimated about a week's time. He leaves his apologies and humbly accepts any reprimanding for having left without direct orders to."

The long-winded explanation left Garnet wary, yet heavily relieved. She relaxed her shoulders and exhaled loudly. "I see... And Beatrix?"

"General Beatrix is greeting visitors from Lindblum, Ma'am."

"I see... Thank you." She nodded her head in appreciation, barely noticing the returning salute as she returned to her bed chambers to dress.

* * *

Much to Garnet's surprise, and delight, the visitors aforementioned by the guard in the keep just happened to be two people the queen very much wanted to see. It was both a reassurance and a new hope for her as she stumbled down the staircase, nearly tripping over her gown, towards Beatrix's back. The general turned quickly to peer down at the smaller woman.

"Your Majesty, you're awake! Thank goodness!"

With her manners temporarily forgotten, Garnet whipped around Beatrix's side to view her guests.

"Hey, princess. What's crackin'?"

"Long time no see, darling."

A rather huge, genuine smile broke out on Garnet's face as she rushed straight up to Marcus and Blank, clasping her hands in front of her, almost in praise. "It's so good to see you both! It's been such a long time!"

Marcus shuffled a foot, almost in embarrassment. "You're too kind, lady. Honestly, though, business is booming in Lindblum. Boss don't give us breaks like he used to."

"That's good to hear. How is everyone?"

"Same old, same old," Marcus continued. "Could use Zidane's help every now and then, though. Bastard visits from time to time, but doesn't so much as lift a finger."

At the mention of the name, Garnet's smile immediately faded, her shoulders drooping as a cloud of forlorn settled over the room. Blank visibly shuddered.

"Did the temperature just drop in here?"

"Gentlemen," came Beatrix's soft voice from a few feet away. The two men glimpsed over at her. "Her Majesty has not been well recently. Perhaps we could continue this discussion at another time."

"Hey, sorry to hear that. You been sick?"

Garnet was unable to come up with a suitable response. Beatrix, instead, answered for her. "Gentlemen, I must insist we do this at a later date."

Blank eyed the queen passively. "Or you been lovesick?"

At this, Garnet's head shot up, surprise written on her face, as Blank crossed his arms and Marcus nodded his head in agreement.

"Yup. Just as we figured."

"Wh... What do you mean?" the young woman asked timidly.

Blank sighed, heaving his shoulders. "Captain Rust Bucket came barreling through Lindblum, straight into the Theatre District, interrupting our play right when Ruby was about to finish her soliloquy she spent weeks trying to perfect-"

Marcus rolled his eyes at the mention.

"... And starts demanding to talk to the Boss, right there in front of the audience. Not a shred of civility, just yellin' and ramblin' on about Zidane gone missing."

Garnet's heart dropped, her face turning pale as her fingers knotted into the skirt of her gown, wrinkling the expensive fabric. "So... that means you haven't seen him either?"

"Holy crap, it's worse than I thought," Marcus noted in slight surprise. "He's been gone a while, huh? Must have, for you to look so-"

"Marcus, don't be rude," Blank cut in, tilting his head slightly towards the glowering general behind her queen, arms crossed and ready to physically remove the two bandits if they pushed too far. Marcus scratched his head and averted his eyes.

"Sorry, didn't mean nothin' by it. But Rusty started gettin' physical with the troupe. He looked livid, and we figured Zidane must've either killed someone-"

"Which isn't humanly possible," Blank took his turn cutting in.

"... Or he went and made the royals upset. Took a shot, came back here, and I guess we were right," Marcus finished, crossing his arms again. Blank nodded solemnly.

Garnet, having listened with a heavy heart and a lump building in her throat, tried her damnedest to keep the tears from welling up in front of her guests and took a small step back. "So then... I suppose it's safe to assume you don't know where he might be."

"You haven't heard a thing from him?"

"No," the young monarch responded quietly, her gaze falling to the floor. "He just... disappeared one day. He told Steiner we left because..." Her words faltered, unsure if publicizing her personal life was such a good idea. "He... He was just a little uncomfortable with his place here."

If the situation had deemed it appropriate, Blank would've laughed. "Lady, the moment Zidane starts feeling out-of-place, he loves to go hide-and-seek. It's just his habit. When he joined Tantalus, he up and disappeared for a whole year before he came crawling back with his head hanging."

"Well, we would rather be in higher spirits that Her Majesty's personal bodyguard would return home sooner than a full year," Beatrix chided from her spot behind the group, slowly growing more and more irritated with the men's less-than-flattering mannerisms.

Marcus let his eyes fall back on the pale young woman in front of him, evaluating her condition and taking a breath to ready himself for the reprimanding he'd get for his next question.

"Ya ain't pregnant, are ya?"

"Alright!" Beatrix finally lost her cool, storming up to the group and putting herself between the queen and her guests. "That's enough from you two! I've advised this be continued later and so it shall! I ask that you both remove yourself from this castle immediately-"

"He's in Treno."

All the movement in the room came to a very sudden stop at the sound of Blank's voice, including Garnet's breathing. Wide-eyed and scared for reasons she wasn't quite sure of to herself, the queen peered from around her general and stared in shock at the two men, who's gazes had drifted off to the walls.

"I said, he's in Treno. Most likely."

"What?" Garnet's mouth just wouldn't close, her heart lurching from a dead stop to a thundering pulse within seconds. "What do you mean? Treno? Why? How could you know that?"

"It's his hiding spot," Blank answered with a shrug. "Whenever he runs off for whatever reason, he somehow always ends up in Treno. I guess 'cause he likes to gamble, so it probably relaxes him to go and play the city games for a while. He's got a lot of friends there, too, in the underground and the slums. He'll sleep on the rooftops if he can't find a friend to crash with." Blank's gaze slowly drifted back to Garnet, a sheepish look to his eyes. "Woulda said something sooner, but we weren't sure how long he'd been gone, or how bad it was here. We thought, maybe, if you'd gotten pregnant or something, he'd ran off to clear his head. Zidane was never the commitment sort. He does stuff for money, just like the rest of us, but real responsibility always kind of scared him off."

"Did you tell Steiner any of this?" Beatrix asked quickly, unsure of this sudden lump of information and the possibilities of false hope it would hold for her queen. The last thing anyone needed was Queen Garnet to dig herself further into her depression if she found out that Treno was just another wild goose chase. The thought made her grimace visibly, but the two men didn't seem to notice.

"Honestly, the good captain looked like he wanted to murder Zidane, so we weren't ready to make them face-off quite yet. Figured it wouldn't hurt to give you guys a head start."

"Did you not think to look for him yourselves?"

"Marital problems aren't exactly our area of expertise." Blank waved one hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. "_He's_ the lady's man. If he's having problems, we're not gonna be much help. Besides, I think whatever his problem is, Her Majesty over there would probably be the best medicine for him." Blank looked Garnet up and down once. "And vice versa."

A strange silence fell over the room, making the two bandits twist in their spots uncomfortably, trying to determine the best method of parting ways. Beatrix resisted the urge to turn and stare at the white mage behind her, concerned she'd read on her face just what she hoped she wouldn't find: Determination. She didn't want Garnet running off to Treno just to chase a rumor. If Zidane wasn't there and Garnet had gotten her hopes so high... the crash back down would be almost as devastating as when he'd first disappeared.

But she certainly couldn't stop her, either. Besides, who was she to block the woman she'd sworn her servitude to from having a hope? And if Zidane really was in Treno, then all of this misery would be put to an end, or at least Beatrix hoped it would. Sighing audibly, the general about-faced and peered down at the young woman before her, whose head angled towards the floor in uncertainty, fingers twisting together in front of her stomach and eyes unblinking.

"... Beatrix?"

Garnet's timid voice was all the general needed to hear before her resolve finally withered and she sighed once more, dropping to a knee and hailing the Alexandrian salute. "Your Majesty, I will follow you wherever you wish to go. I shall arrange an airship at once."

"But... are you sure?" The mage's eyes were wide and unshielded, so ready to hope but too afraid to be let down again. The vulnerability was there, and Beatrix swore up and down that she would do whatever she could to keep Garnet's heart from shattering completely.

"Your Majesty, if there is even the slightest hope that your heartbreak can be cured, I will gladly take it. Treno is our destination now. If you would rather wait here..."

"No!" Garnet shot up, shaking her head sharply. "I have to go! If Zidane is there... I need to know! But..." Again, she faltered. "I know... I know you don't want me to go... I know you think it'll take us to another dead end."

"We don't know for sure."

"But still..."

"Your Majesty," Beatrix cut in, raising herself back up to both feet and placing her padded hands on the younger woman's small shoulders. Garnet gazed up at the general's one visible eye, worry etched across her face. Beatrix smiled in response. "We cannot let this opportunity slip by, or else you would spend your time wondering about the possibility. If Zidane might be in Treno, you must see for yourself. I will go with you, and we will search discreetly."

"What about Steiner?"

"We'll leave a message for him here. We'll say we went to see a doctor in Dali, for your poor health of late. If he came to Treno, he would cause a commotion and probably scare Zidane away further."

"You're right..." Garnet nodded, though she didn't like the idea of hiding things from her captain, especially since she'd had to do it so many times in the past, and it had caused some minor trust issues (though those had been resolved since). The young queen drew a shuddering breath and nodded again, mentally trying to reaffirm her decision. "Okay... Let's go to Treno."

"Well, that was touching." Blank broke the soft atmosphere, tapping Marcus on the shoulder, who seemed lost in thought but straightened himself when he was brought to attention. "You ladies have fun. Let us know if you hear anything."

"Marcus, Blank, won't you come with us?" Garnet pleaded. "Surely you two know the streets of Treno better than us. You could find his hiding spots."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Marcus disregarded smugly. "Zidane's our buddy and everything, but this is your problem. I think he'd just be embarrassed if we came rushing at him. Besides, Blank can never resist the slum shop's cage battle-"

"I like the challenge," chimed Blank.

"... And he always ends up losing our money on it, not to mention he almost always gets busted up."

"Didn't say I was good at it," again came Blank's voice. Marcus grumbled and waved a hand in farewell.

"Anyway, good luck, princess. Hope you find the little bastard. Give him a good butt-whoopin' for us, would ya?" And with that, the two left the castle, leaving Garnet and Beatrix behind with their decision. Garnet once again turned wide, timid eyes up at her general. Her gaze was imploring, though in truth, Garnet knew she never had to ask Beatrix for permission to do anything. Just a simple "let's go" would have sufficed and the two would flee to Treno as quickly as the airships would allow. But the young mage didn't want to upset her general anymore than she already had. She knew Beatrix had been under heavy stress just from her sympathy (as had Steiner; Garnet couldn't even imagine the heavy feelings he'd been having lately). If Treno ended up being another dead end, it would just mean misery for everyone.

But if Garnet had learned anything from her time traveling the world and aiding in the rescue of her kingdom, of other cities, or her friends, and of herself, she knew that the strongest ally she would ever have was hope. If she could hold onto that one little piece in her heart that hoped to find Zidane, then they would make it through this journey just the same as any other they had traveled. And even if it ended in misery, she knew they'd be alright regardless.

So it was with great strength and determination that the queen asked,

"Beatrix... Will you accompany me to Treno?"

And it was without a thought of hesitation that Beatrix replied,

"Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

Chapter 4 - end  
To Be Continued

* * *

AN: And thusly, a segue to the next turn-of-events. I apologize if it came off as a little boring, but I just needed to get the information in there somehow. What fortunes will Treno hold for our young queen? Brace yourselves, Chapter 5 is coming.

Review, Your Majesty.


	5. Chapter 5

Where My Foreboding Thoughts Lead - Chapter 5  
Yosuke

AN: A now the story gets somewhere. Sorry for keeping you waiting.

FF9 not mine.

* * *

It took five days to reach Dark City Treno by airship from the Alexandrian Planes. An airship of greater speed had once existed to serve as faster transport, but after the great journey to save Gaia and all of mankind, the _Invincible_ had met its untimely (and rather ambiguous) end in the Iifa Tree. Regent Cid had been a generous man, and upon hearing that Alexandria no longer held any sort of airship of great esteem, he had taken it upon himself to provide his niece with a whole fleet of airships, fast and durable. Garnet had accepted them graciously, though she'd noticed with a vague curiosity that throughout the past several weeks, a good number of her ships had gone missing. Upon asking her general of this matter, Beatrix had only shrugged and replied, "Steiner."

As ships had returned one by one, each crewman empty-handed and each drafted soldier reluctant to tell their superior that the search for Zidane Tribal had been nothing more than a wild goose chase, so too did Steiner return to Alexandria Castle with his head hung low and a sigh at every step.

_'What shall I tell Her Majesty?'_ he thought solemnly as he dragged his heavily-clad feet along the carpeted hallway, hesitant to encounter said queen. _'I've once again returned with naught. I don't dare to see her face again with such odious news.'_

For fifteen minutes he trudged about, but not by means of aversion; he simply could not find his queen. "Odd," he mumbled to himself as he paced familiar corridors again, his steps growing more determined with his feelings of abjection long gone. "Where could she be?" Spotting a chambermaid walking from a sitting room, Steiner quickly made his way to her. "You there," he called. The maid stopped and fully faced the captain.

"Yes, Captain Steiner?"

"Where is the queen? And Beatrix? I've not seen either of them since I returned."

The maid, a young blonde with a slightly distracting twitch in her left eyelid, shrugged impassively. "Your guess is as good as mine, Sir. They haven't been in the castle for about four days now."

"Four days?" The guard jumped in surprise. "Your queen has been gone for four days and you've not questioned why?"

"Yes, many of the castle residents do have a tendency to run off without notice, don't they?" The knowing glance she shot him let him know that she hadn't simply been referring to Zidane's absence. It was true, both Garnet and himself had been missing for quite a while a year before with their quest to save Gaia, and Beatrix's presence had always been rather sporadic. Now that Zidane had gone missing, and Steiner being rather to-and-fro, _and_ both the queen and the general running off, it was no wonder the staff had no longer cared to know where anyone was going or how long they'd be gone. Steiner could only sigh over it.

"Would anyone know then, by chance?"

The maid quirked her head to the side, thinking. "Perhaps the dock workers? Her Majesty left on an airship. They might know something."

In a flurry of movement, the hallways passing in a blur to morph into the steel pillars of the airship docking stations, Steiner found himself in the presence of two maintenance men.

"Her Majesty and General Beatrix left for Dali, from what I heard," the youngest answered, barely paying attention to the flustered captain as he painted a detached rudder with gusto.

"Man, what a bunch of hogwash," the older worker quipped, waving a hand at him. "Medicine in Dali? Yeah, right. They're all a bunch of rednecks down there. The most advanced medicinal treatment they have is Echo Screens and Oglop Oil, and they haven't even found a use for the latter yet!"

"So where is it, then? Dali or elsewhere?" Steiner demanded, jumping up and down in impatience.

"Why would Her Majesty lie about going to Dali? She has been sick. Maybe it's like a resort getaway for her, or something." The younger worker stopped what he was doing, attention now mostly on his co-worker, intent on arguing. "The general says she's been sick lately, and we all saw her go nuts in the ring last week. Summoned a dragon and everything! I would say she just wants to get away from here, especially since you-know-who went missing."

"Poppycock," the older replied. "She's up to something, and so is that general lady. They're out man-hunting. Probably on the advice of those two thieving chums."

"What?" Steiner cut in. "What chums?"

"A private charter airship docked four or five days ago, and two bandits jump off asking to be let into the castle," the oldest answered. "They both had swords. One was fiercely ugly, and the other was wearing a damn belt over his eyes. Dunno how the hell he could see... Anyway, they refused to leave until they were given an audience with Queen Garnet, but the general sent word to let them in. They went in, I'm guessing they chatted for a bit, then they hopped back of their ship and were long gone. The next morning, the two ladies have us set up a ship, and they take off into the rising sun."

"Wh-Why didn't you come to me with this information before?" hollered Steiner. The two men looked confused.

"Sir, haven't you been out of the country this week?"

The captain stopped his ranting quickly, simmering down and thinking on this logic stupidly. Faintly, he wondered how much more information he was missing.

"Regardless," continued Steiner. "I must locate Her Majesty and Beatrix quickly! Ready an airship! I leave in an hour!"

"We won't have it done by then!" The youngest called after him, but the knight had quickly rushed off, leaving the men gawking after him as he ran through the castle and into the keep. He was intent on finding some clues to his queen's whereabouts in her bedchamber (despite how his civilized side told him strongly not to enter such a place unbidden). As he was about to practically tackle the door open, it swung wide with no warning, a familiar chambermaid popping out.

"Oh, fancy meeting you here, Captain," responded the blonde maid from earlier. In her arms were the silky, luxurious drapes that normally hung from the room's windows. Steiner eyed her warily.

"What are you doing?"

The maid struggled for a moment to keep the cloth from slipping from her arms, twisting it about her hands to bundle it up. "I'm a little concerned a bird may have gotten in through a window. I know Her Majesty is fond of them, but the dander probably isn't good for her health. I thought I'd change all her linens before she comes back."

Steiner surveyed the drapes as if he thought he might be able to see said dander. "Did you actually see a bird in there?"

"No," she responded quietly. "There was a feather under her divan. I found it while I was cleaning." As she spoke, she managed to free one arm from the tangled linens and produce from her apron pocket a single feather, merely four inches long, slender and slightly withered from its time collecting dust on the floor. Steiner took it from her and held it to the light. It was an off-white, closer to cream-colored, and its quill was surprisingly thin, barely rigid at all.

"Captain?" The maid stared up at the older man curiously, wondering why a meager feather had captured his attention so much. "Is something wrong?"

Something sat on the edge of Steiner's brain, ebbing and desiring very badly to be noticed, but the knight could not place it. When was it the last time a feather... or something with feathers, had bothered him so much...?

Why did it suddenly feel like something was about to go terribly wrong?

* * *

The sights and sounds of Dark City Treno were refreshing to Queen Garnet, as it would be to anyone who had been cooped up inside a castle for months. Pipe smoke and chimney fumes hung heavily in the air, but the young woman couldn't find it in her to let it bother her. She was focused, she had a target, and she had to move quickly before her target knew she was coming.

Beatrix trailed a few feet behind, watching with interest as her queen walked steadily along the crowded city street, making the painfully noticeable transition from high class estates to dirt cheap apartments, if those tiny holes in the wall could even be called that. Between the sewage running in the crannies between the stones underfoot and what suspiciously resembled a dead cat laying in a heap of garbage by a run-down cottage, the general wasn't quite sure what she should've been on the lookout for more: Zidane or the queen being pickpocketed.

Of course, even if Garnet was to be targeted by thieves, none would be the wiser to just exactly _whom_ they were stealing from; Garnet had opted to don her favored orange suit and white shirt, keeping her appearance modest with a cloak traditionally worn by white mages. The stark white and bright red triangles stood out against the dark atmosphere. Beatrix was thankful; It was much easier to follow her this way.

The stone pathways were wet and crowded, but despite the fact that Garnet was well aware that any person passing by could easily snoop through her pockets without her noticing, the queen was more than happy to be surrounded by the citizens of Treno. If she could spot someone she recognized, they might be a clue to Zidane's whereabouts. Or if fate decided to stop with its cruel jokes and start being more kindhearted towards the young woman, there was a possibility she would run right into Zidane. The city was only so big; if Zidane was here, she was bound to run into him at some point.

Garnet chose the road that led past the card game tournament house, jogging along the stones surrounded on either side by water and making her way up the steps towards the slum shop. She caught a glimpse over her shoulder at her general, who politely kept a distance of about ten feet, knowing that hovering over the younger woman like she was inept would only suffocate her and make her search more difficult. She mentally thanked Beatrix as she stepped gracefully over a bum sleeping right in the middle of the street.

Up ahead, two children play-fought with wooden swords, one child wearing a cape while the other had fashioned a bandana around the lower half of his face, concealing his nose and mouth. Had Garnet not spoken up, they clearly would not have noticed her, as they were so engaged in their play and having quite a bit of fun.

"I beg your pardon," Garnet spoke loudly to get their attention. Both boys immediately stopped, wary of the strange, beautiful woman suddenly in front of them, debating on whether they should draw their "swords" on her or not. "I'm sorry to bother you," she continued. "But I'm looking for someone I got separated from. Do you think you could help me?"

"And why would we do that, noble?" The boy with the bandana retorted loudly, raising his wooden sword to her eye level.

"Yeah!" yelled the child with the cape. "Why would we do that, huh?"

"I..." the white mage faltered for a moment. "... It would be of great help to me."

"Some excuse!" snarled the masked boy. "Some rich jerk loses something, then comes running to the peasants to make us do the dirty work! Typical socio-elitism!"

Garnet blinked in surprise. These children couldn't be older than seven. What did they know of the economy? "I'm not here to make you work for me. I just wanted to know if you saw a man walk by. A little taller than I, blonde hair, with a tail?"

"Listen to her!" The masked boy scoffed, lowering his sword only to put his hands on his hips. "Moneybags thinks she can just order me to tell her whatever she wants!" He rolled his eyes towards his friend, who snickered in response. "Lady, I ain't tellin' you shit. So why don't crawl back into your superiority complex and leave us the hell alone?"

_'I'm not sure I'm the one with the complex,'_ Garnet thought curiously as she crouched down to assume their eye level. "Is there nothing I can do to get any information? Wouldn't anyone know? Surely this city has eyes everywhere."

"Well, now that you mention it," the masked boy singsonged, tapped his chin thoughtfully. "My memory could use a little... kickstart. Or maybe about fifty kickstarts."

Garnet sighed and stood, reaching for her reticule, but before she knew it, a tall figure had whizzed by, and suddenly the small seven-year-old boy with the mask was eye-level with General Beatrix, held roughly against a wall by only his shirt collar.

"Young man, we have no quarrel with you or your habitat," Beatrix spoke in a low, calm voice. "But please be aware that if you plan to swindle money from someone, make sure they don't have a very impatient bodyguard standing within earshot."

The boy struggled under her grasp, kicking his legs and thrashing about while wheezing grunts escaped his mouth. The caped boy was at Beatrix's side immediately, kicking her shins and pulling on her free arm. "Let him go!" the boy cried out. "I said let him go! He can't breathe!"

"He can breathe just fine," Beatrix commented passively, shoving the other child away by his head. "Now, I believe the young lady asked you a question concerning a man that's gone missing. He's hard to miss, he has a tail and appears human. He's a thief, an actor, and a gambler. Where would one fitting that description be inclined to pass his time?"

The only reply she received was the wheezing gasps and the tears building in his eyes.

"Stop it!" the caped boy shouted, once again at her leg and grasping her arm. "I'll tell you whatever you want! Just let him go! He can't breathe!"

Beatrix's one eye drifted down to the boy below her, then back to the child she had pinned to the wall, soaking in the details and finally noting how red the top half of the masked boy's face was becoming. Then it struck her; the bandana wasn't a costume piece for their swordplay. It was a barrier against the fumes and diseases of the slums. He was asthmatic.

Grunting, she released the boy, letting him drop the ground, where he was immediately tended to by his friend, pulling the bandana free and grasping his face, attempting to calm him so that he could regain his regular breathing pattern. Sounds of hyperventilating and calming commands to "take it easy, breathe, just breathe" filled the tiny corner of the stone street, Beatrix watching with a small cloud of guilt sitting over her head and Garnet observing silently from the sideline, unsure of what to do. She knew no white magic spells to cure asthma...

"Well, as I was saying," Beatrix finally broke the silence, the caped boy glaring up at her. "The man I referred to. Where would he be?"

"I ain't seen no one who looks like that," the boy spoke with an underlying hiss to his voice. "No humans with tails. Couple of giant rats have been coming and going, though."

"No, not Cleyrans or Burmecians, just a human." Beatrix looked the wheezing boy over once, debating finding some medical attention for him, though his hyperventilating gradually grew less and less erratic. "Then where would you _expect_ someone like him to spend his time? A popular gambling spot, perhaps? Where would that be?"

"The card house is the major gambling spot in Treno," the caped boy said. "Everything else is underground and hard to get to unless you have connections. Definitely no nobles allowed." He shot a disapproving glare at a silent Garnet. "But anyone who's on the run from the law won't make themselves easy to find in this city, not even to other bandits. If you wanna find someone, you're just gonna have to look for yourself."

Garnet suddenly stepped into the conversation, her last dregs of hope visibly withering away in her eyes. "If I may, just one more question... Have you not heard of anyone from Alexandria arriving in the city? Even as a rumor?"

"Nope, 'cept for a Moogle or two."

Beatrix was silent for a moment, thinking on the question before finally asking, "What about from Lindblum? Anyone hailing from there? Anyone who's garnered attention?"

The caped boy glimpsed over at his coughing friend, who exchanged a worried glance with him. The air suddenly became very tense. This alerted both of the ladies.

"Did a man come here from Lindblum?" the queen asked quickly, kneeling down beside the children as if that would somehow help her receive the answers more easily. "He originally came from Lindblum. Have you heard of him?"

"Well... one guy got here about four weeks ago," the caped boy answered. The masked boy struggled to say something to stop his friend from giving the "nobles" any information, but he was ignored. "Doesn't gamble or anything, but he visits the shop a lot, to fight the monsters they keep in there. And he always wins, at least from what I hear. He's been pickpocketing nobles like crazy, but he gives everything to the people in the slums. Just a bunch of heroics, as far as I can tell, but no one knows his name. He wears a hood and never talks to anyone."

In any other situation, the clues wouldn't have been strong enough, but Garnet was grasping at straws, and they were good enough for her. Beatrix saw this clearly and sighed, turning to face the younger woman. "To the slum shop?"

She hardly needed to ask the question, as Garnet turned big, brown, hopeful eyes up at her. With hasty words of gratitude thrown to the two children, the ladies rushed off to the slum shop, where each previous question was asked in double-time to the rather unfortunate-looking woman behind the counter.

"Yeah, he's in here every other day, checkin' for a new challenge, then goes to the neighborhoods to pass out his winnings. Hasn't lost once. No one walks out of here that many times without at least a scratch, but it's crazy; it's like he's from another planet."

The irony of the statement passed right over Garnet's head as she and her general moved from the shop straight to the dirty streets of the slums, grabbing the attention of a petite young woman attempting to beat a rug hanging over the sill of a window.

"A hooded man? Oh, yes, I know him. He brought my son a Peridot stone once. Every time he comes into town, he always donates the things he accumulates from wherever it is he goes when he's not here. Such a kind man. I've never really gotten a good look at him, so I can't really describe him. My cousin's friend says she's spotted him at the Auction House once or twice with a small army of guards chasing him. I wonder what kind of trouble he gets himself into?"

And from there they moved quickly to the Auction House, encountering a middle-aged guard whose face quickly reddened with anger at the mention of the hooded man.

"I know exactly who you are talking about! That little rodent has stolen at least fifty-thousand Gil worth of artifacts and battle aides! I've no idea how it is he manages to sneak in and out so efficiently, and how he gets his dirty little hands on those well-guarded items, but we'll catch him one day! I'm sure of it! The auctioneer says he's caught a glimpse of the thief's face before, but it wasn't much to go on. You could probably ask him a question or two."

And so this pattern continued, moving from the auctioneer, to the card game tournament announcer, to a loudmouthed conspiracy theorist by the Stellazo house, to a pair of giggling noblewomen at an outdoor cafe, to a four-armed bandit fraternizing with a beautiful young socialite while one hand lingered dangerously close to her shoulder-bag, and so on and so forth until the two women grew exhausted and fed up with the endless line of leads. Tired and frustrated, they both came to a stop beside a small house in the slums that looked as if it had been scorched by fire very recently. In the distance, a baby could be heard crying and a dog barking loudly. Past that were the sounds of the city, music and crowds and the hustle and bustle of the rich.

Beatrix let out a heavy sigh as she stopped a few feet behind her queen, pushing her thick ringlets of hair back over her shoulder as a light sheen of fatigue settled in. They had run just about all over the city, hunting down clues, but there had been nothing for them left in the end. She risked sneaking a glance up at the small frame of the tired woman before her. Garnet leaned heavily against the rotting wood of the half-crumpled house, arms wrapped around herself and her head hanging low. From the trembling of her shoulders, Beatrix guessed that the young white mage was near tears, if not crying already. The general bit her lip, trying to think of something comforting to say.

"Your Majesty, I-"

"Don't, Beatrix. It's okay," came the soft reply, Garnet not even looking back at the other woman. "I know. It was foolish of me to even try. I'm sorry I dragged you all the way out here, and all over this city, looking for someone we pretty much _know_ isn't even here anymore."

"We don't know that for a fact, Your Majesty." Beatrix _had_ to try. "Perhaps you should rest. We'll find an inn and you can sleep for a spell, and I'll keep searching."

A long moment of silence passed between them, carried off into the humid night air as Garnet barely contemplated the offer, too tired and forlorn to even think of anything else but her disappointment. "...Alright."

The two moved sluggishly along the streets until finding an inn on the outskirts of the higher end of town, far enough from the slums that Beatrix wasn't terribly concerned about being robbed in the middle of the night.

The inn wasn't well-lit but it was clean, and just barely met Beatrix's satisfaction. Eyeing each customer that walked through for potential dangers, she made her way to the check-in desk. "Your best room, please."

The clerk looked all but elated at the chance to make a small fortune off the two tired travelers and quickly pulled out the large leather-bound book for the taller woman to sign. As Beatrix scribbled away, Garnet remained near the back of the lobby, eyes unfocused and heart sitting in her stomach. She remembered her general saying she would go and search for her while she was in bed... That would be a good opportunity to cry. But at this she felt ashamed. Why should she cry? She knew what she was getting herself into. She knew there was a very real and very likely possibility that Zidane would be nowhere in sight in Treno.

_Zidane..._

The name brought a large, painful lump to her throat as Garnet lowered her face, too embarrassed to let anyone see her cry. It had all been for nothing... Zidane was gone.

She followed the taller woman absentmindedly up the stairs and down a hallway, hugging herself all the while fighting back the growing pain in her throat and stomach. She couldn't even imagine how long the agony would last this time. She hoped with all her might that her heart would mend itself one way or another by the time she returned to Alexandria. Her country didn't deserve such an absentminded ruler. They needed her there, with them, alert and proactive, not hidden away in her bedchambers, crying into her pillow like a little girl. Biting her lip, she sucked in a few deep breaths to help hold the imminent sorrow at bay, readying to vent her disappointment in the solitude of her hotel room so that she would be better prepared to return to her castle and her people.

Dagger was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice her general come to a sudden stop in the middle of the hallway. She crashed right into her back, grunting and stepping back quickly, shaken from her thoughts. "Beatrix? What's wrong?" She observed the older woman staring straight ahead down into the hallway. Garnet stepped around side of her. "Beatrix? Did you forget our room number?"

"Your Majesty..." Beatrix half-whispered, nodding forward to gesture towards the hallway. Curious, Garnet's gaze followed to find a stranger at the end of said hallway, halfway through an open doorway into one of the rooms. It was a man, covered in a tattered cloak, his attention fixated on the two women at the other end of the corridor, or at least Garnet could only assume this, considering the hood that half-obscured his face. But it was all she needed. Her voice escaped her momentarily as her previously unfocused eyes honed in on the face that was exposed to her, her legs losing sensation as she thought she might drop to her knees. She could never mistake that for anyone else. The part of the man's face that she could see... It was a mouth she'd kissed far too many times to ever forget.

"Z... Zidane..."

* * *

Chapter 5 - end  
To Be Continued

* * *

AN: Ermegerd, Zidern! Whodda thunk it?

R... Review...


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